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World Regional Geography
Unit I: Introduction to World Regional Geography
Lesson 4: Solutions to Global Warming Debate
Some Review…
Greenhouse Gases
• Increasing
concentration of
atmospheric CO2, the
most important
greenhouse gas
• Human activity (fossil
fuel burning)
contributes to the
increase
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Predicted Effects of Global Warming
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Temperature changes
Extreme weather
Changes in precipitation patterns
Glacier retreat, decrease in snow cover
Ocean acidification
Sea level rise
Food supply challenges
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Greenhouse Gases
• Production of GHGs by country, 2005
Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GHG_by_country_2005.png
Greenhouse Gases
• Production of GHGs per capita, 2005
Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GHG_per_capita_2005.png
Global Warming: Solutions
• Cap-and-trade mechanisms
• Carbon tax
• Develop technology to:
– Sustain current level of economic growth with
fewer emisssions
– Sequester carbon produced by human activities
– Allow geoengineering
– Deal with the adverse effects of global warming
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CO2 Emissions
• The rising level of CO2 in the atmosphere seems
to be the main cause of rising temperatures
• For thousands of
years, the level of CO2
was under 300 parts
per million by volume
(ppmv)
• Then in the 19th
century is started
increasing
• As of 2010, it is at 392
ppmv, rising at an
annual rate of 2 ppmv
Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carbon_Dioxide_400kyr.png
CO2 Emissions by Sector, 2008
Image Source: IEA, 2010
Projected Temperature Rise
Image Source: Stern Review, 2006
Projected Adverse Effects
Image Source: Stern Review, 2006
Policies Currently in Place
• The Kyoto Protocol (1997)
– Target of 8% reduction in carbon emissions from
the 1990 levels by 2012
– Consequently: the EU creates the Emissions
Trading Scheme (ETS): carbon permits are given to
emitting industries
– Major problem of Kyoto: many big countries do
not participate (USA, China, Brazil, India, etc.)
– Copenhagen conference in 2009 fails to deliver
any decisive results
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Cap-and-Trade: How it works
• A government sets a limit (cap) on the amount
of emissions that can be produced
• The limit is allocated (or sold) to the
companies that produce the emissions in form
of “permits”; in effect, a permit represents an
allowance to pollute the air with a given
amount of carbon
• Companies that need to emit more than the
allocated amount need to purchase permits
form other companies = trade
• A market for emission permits emerges
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Cap-and-Trade: Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Cap-and-Trade approach lets the market to
decide where to cut the emissions – it is
therefore considered to be the most
efficient
Difficult to set emission reduction
targets: should it be 3% a year or 8% a
year? Which rate would be more
economically profitable?
Cap-and-trade approach easily adopts to
economic changes like inflation – the price
adjusts to the wider economy (in case of
carbon tax, regulatory action would be
needed to adjust the level of tax)
Unilateral action dangerous for the
economy of a country that first
introduces the cap-and-trade scheme:
additional costs for the businesses in
that country
Cap-and-Trade approach (the type
where permits are given away for free)
does not rise any revenue for the
government
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Carbon Tax: How it works
• A government puts a tax on the amount of
carbon produced (usually a tone)
• Sectors that have to pay the tax are chosen;
individual citizens are usually not required to
pay the tax (this is politically unrealistic)
• To make carbon taxation simpler and fairer,
sources of emissions, rather than emissions
themselves are often taxed: e.g. oil, coal, etc.
– this way, the tax is equitably carried over to
the final consumer
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Carbon Tax: Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Carbon tax raises revenues that can be
used to fight global warming
Difficult to put a price on carbon (i.e.
should it be 0,50 € per tone or 50 € per
tone?)
Carbon tax is transparent and easy to
understand for everyone
Unilateral action dangerous for the
economy of a country that first introduces
the tax
Carbon tax is easier to administer
Common rate for all countries = unfair to
developing countries
A carbon tax with common rate for all
industries is the most efficient method
Different rate for different countries =
reduces effectiveness in a global economy
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No Restrictive Policies: Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Does not negatively impact the economy
in the short term
Little or no short-term reduction in
emissions may be dangerous
May provide positive incentives for
development of green technologies (but
does not specify how to pay for it)
Does not provide negative incentives for
green technology development
This approach is more fair towards
developing countries – it lets them
industrialize without restrictions
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Non-Climate Advantages of Action
• Energy security
• Job creation
• Economic growth
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Homework due on October 10
• Prepare for in-class debate on “Global policy to fight Global
Warming”
• Students form three groups that will argue for different
approaches to CO2 emissions reduction
– Group A: Cap-and-trade mechanisms
– Group B: Carbon tax
– Group C: No restrictive policies, invest in research that will
produce technology capable of dealing with carbon emissions
such as carbon sequestration
• Each group is required to get acquainted with the
advantages and disadvantages of each of the three
approaches
• Each group will present the advantages of its own
approach, and try to “sell it” to the rest of the class
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